The knot in my throat rolled up and down and my mouth became try at once while my eyes gradually filled with tears.
A shocking silence stretched into the room and I expected Clare to break it by explaining what had happened to mom; however, she remained silent as if she had acquiesced to it.
“What exactly happened to mom, Clare?” I raised my voice a little this time, tilting my head to look at her face, which was now swimming in tears.
Slowly, she put forward some paces and came to stand close to me and then continued, “It was a car accident, Amelia, she was knocked down by a car on the freeway and was rushed to the hospital immediately”
“Then what happened?” I heard Desmond ask from my back.
“The doctor made us know that she has fallen into a coma and would suffer from Traumatic Brain Injury”
Hearing this, the blood in my body boiled up instantly and my heart hammered strongly inside my chest, and I couldn't help shivering as I looked up at her face.
“Actually, the doctor said that the injury can recover anytime from a few weeks to ten years” she put in, and it felt like invisible knives were wrenching my heart again and again.
“So you mean, you mean to say that mom is going to remain like this for the next ten years?” I whispered, the fear squeezing out of my throat.
“No, no, Amelia, that's not what I mean. Before we brought mom back home, the doctor had assured us that there's seventy-five to ninety percent that mom would recover in a few months” she clarified, wiping off her tears now and then.
“Then why did you bring her home?” I almost yelled, jumping to my feet with a big mess inside my heart.
“You need to calm down, Amelia,” Desmond cajoled, leaving where he was standing in the doorway and striding into the room.
“You don't tell me to calm down, Desmond. Look, look at her laying here lifelessly” I cried out hysterically and then turned to face Clare again.
“Tell me why you brought her home when she's supposed to be receiving treatment in the hospital?”
A veil of despair descended over her and the tears in her eyes fell as she began, “Our life has become miserable since mom has been in a coma, Amelia”
A sense of bitterness arose in my heart as I stared at her in scare.
“We've spent more than we had planned, and there's no more to spend again. Also, dad was fired a month ago, and he has been wandering aimlessly hunting for a job but to no avail”
“Callie was able to obtain a clerk job in one of the banks in the city while I watch after mom every day,” she choked on words as she spoke while her shoulders trembled violently.
I was so touched, and I couldn't control my tears from falling and rolling down my cheeks uncontrollably.
“I know that we only treated you awfully back then, Amelia, but please don't retaliate at this point, save mom first, please I beg of you,” she wept bitterly and crouched to my feet and held it.
“Stand up, Clare, please” I managed to voice out amidst tears, but she didn't budge as she continued to whimper loudly.
I stooped and helped her to stand up, looking into her eyes and wiping out her tears with my thumb.
“Mom would be alright again, I promise you,” I told her with a reassuring smile, and her face lit up a bit. She snuggled me into her chest, taking me by surprise.
“Thank you so much, Amelia” she expressed with a deep sense of gratitude, and I couldn't be less glad to realize that Clare has become a better person.
“When you are done hugging each other, can we bring aunt to the hospital afterward?” Desmond uttered in a tone full of humor, and a slight chuckled escaped from our mouths as we both disengaged from the hug.
“I need to call Granny and inquire about the family hospital so that we can bring mom there,” I sniffed softly and proceeded to walk past them, “How about our family hospital?” Desmond assessed, ceasing my pace.
“Are you sure nothing will go wrong with my mom's situation?” I quizzed, looking up into his face.
“Trust me, babe. You need to worry less” he coaxed with a broad wink and briefly pecked my cheek and then strode past me toward the bed.
Clare and I both watch as he carefully carried mom in his arms and walked ahead, while we followed behind him.
“I'll be in the hospital with a patient in nothing less than twenty minutes, please get ready” he spoke with an authoritative voice into his phone as soon as we sat in the car and took off immediately.
I glanced at Clare in the back seat, who was holding mom's body and soon noticed that she was pressing a phone with another hand keenly.
“Do you want to call someone?” I asked her curiously, guessing in my heart who that person was.
“Yes, Amelia. I need to share this good news with Callie” the ecstasy in her voice couldn't be hidden.
I gave a light smile and nodded in agreement, but deep down, I was already shrouded with inexplicable nervousness at the mention of Callie's name.
Moments later, the car rolled to a stop inside the garage of the gigantic hospital building and as soon as we all came down from the car, I realized some nurses were already standing at alert and holding a stretcher.
Desmond and I with a few nurses supported mom to lay down on the stretcher and with that, they rolled her into the hospital.
In the doctor's office, Clare and I sat down on the two seats across the doctor's desk, while Desmond stood in a corner with his arms folded across his chest.
I took a glance at Clare beside me and caught a glimpse of her hands shivering, I quickly held them, and she slowly looked over at my face.
“Mom would be alright,” I encouraged with a light smile, suppressing my own impatience from surfacing.
Unexpectedly, the door swung open, revealing the male doctor, and we both leaped to our feet in unison.
With my heart in my mouth, “How's she, doctor?” I spoke up first, and the doctor grinned lightly, revealing his upper roll of white dentition.
“It's a good thing you brought the patient here sooner, Mr. Wright,” the doctor let out, looking at Desmond.
“After several months of being in a coma, according to her diagnosis, the patient would be conscious anytime soon” the doctor broke the good news. Clare and I exchanged glances as a happy smile emerged on her face.
“You see, there are stages that a patient with a traumatic brain injury may experience or progress through and of course every patient is different, and some stages may not apply to every patient” the doctor continued, and we all listened to him attentively as he spoke.
“The first stage is a coma,” he adjusted his glasses, looking at our faces briefly.
“A coma allows the brain to heal, uninterrupted. After awakening from a coma, the patient may move through further stages toward recovery” he enunciated, bringing more smiles to our faces.
“Another one is minimally conscious. The significant improvement seen in this stage is awareness of people and surroundings. When in this stage, medications can help stimulate the brain to regain consciousness” he further elucidated proficiently.
“As the patient responds to instructions and communications, they move toward recovery”
“There are many more stages, but I assure you that the patient would recover soon” he concluded, and I couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief.
“But when do we get to buy the medications you talked about just now?” Desmond challenged, actually beating me to it because that was the next question I had in mind to ask.
“As soon as the patient regained consciousness,” he replied with a bright smile, “You have nothing to worry about, ma'am” he looked over at me and assured.
I nodded vigorously and shared a brief embrace with Clare.
“Please Doctor David, I want you to take absolutely good care of the patient and do not hesitate to let me know if you need anything” Desmond spoke up again as he and the doctor both shook hands. “Sure, Mr. Wright,”
Outside the hospital.
“Thank you very much once again, I really don't know how much to thank the both of you,” Clare said in a crying tone and lowered her head.
“It's alright now, Clare, you should stop thanking us already and start hoping aunt should regain consciousness soon,” Desmond said, closing the driver's side door and then ambled to where we were standing.
“Yes Clare, Desmond is right, let's hope mom regains consciousness soon,” I told her and lifted her chin to look at my face.
“Please take care of mom and yourself, we'll be on our way now” I notified, and her eyes protruded in surprise directly.
“No, Amelia, Callie is on our way to this place, please wait a moment,”
“We can't, Clare, but don't worry, we'll be here tomorrow, and I promise to wait for Clare” I ensured with a smile, and she reluctantly nodded.
I opened my bag and fetched some cash from it, and then handed it to Callie.
“Keep this, you may want to get something”
Her mouth went agape as she continued to look from face to the cash I was extending to her.
I smiled warmly, “Come on, Clare, take it”
“You're giving all this money to me?” the awed look on her face somehow stung my heart.
“It's not a big deal, Clare, now take it,” I said patiently, and she eventually collected it but nuzzled me into her chest, taking me off-guard.
“Thank you, Amelia”
***
At night in the villa.
I sauntered into the kitchen and was greeted by a heavenly aroma, filling the whole place with Kiara and Miss. Marian conversing merrily. Kiara was drying up the dishes with a napkin while Miss. Marian was stirring the content in the pan, their back was to me.
“So, what was your response?” Miss. Marian asked, her tone beaming with curiosity.
“I told him the child I'm holding is mine, and I also have a husband. Thus, he should move forward to search for a good woman of his taste” Kiara replied with a smile, and Miss. Marian chuckled out softly. The happiness around her face had never appeared before.
“It seems even if I continue to stand here forever, none of you would notice my presence”
I pouted with an eye roll while walking wholly into the kitchen.
“Hey, baby, you're back?” Kiara's face beamed immediately after she spotted me, but I just twitched my lips.
“Welcome back, Amelia, we thought Desmond has kidnapped you already,” Miss. Marian poked fun at me, but I didn't adjust my expression, as I let it remain as if I were annoyed.
“I'm annoyed,” I said seriously, folding my hands up to my chest, and I saw how they both exchanged a glance.
“What happened, Amelia?” Kiara asked with concern as she dropped the plate she was holding.
“So, now, Miss. Marian is your gist partner?” I turned to Miss. Marian, “And you too, Miss Marian, I noticed that you don't like me again since the arrival of Kiara” I pouted my lips while I bemoaned to them.
They both laughed out quietly but stopped immediately after I threw a playful glare at them.
“So, what did I miss? Where's Aiden?” I asked, packing the dishes and arranging them on their rack one after the other.
“He has gone out with Alexander, but they will be back soon” Kiara responded, and I nodded.
“How about you? Why did you come back late?” she asked as she continued with what she was doing.
I heaved a little sigh and explained everything to them.
“Whoa, terrific. It means you went there just in time,” Kiara reacted with a satisfactory nod.
“Don't think about it, Amelia, she'll be alright just like the doctor had said” Miss. Marian assured me while patting my arm.
I nodded and smiled. I hope so.